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Spring is in the air...

I do love this time of year. The transition from winter to spring.

You can feel it in the air, on those few days the sun shines, though it may still be cold, chilly from the wind or a morning frost, but you can see signs of spring all around from the increased sound of bird song to the visible glow of yellow daffodils blowing about on the verges of the roads around the Island. You can hear it too from the sound of bird song in the woods - the 'twiddle-dee' and warning calls of robins making nests, the drumming of woodpeckers and the call of hooting pheasants. Soon there will be bluebells, perhaps even earlier than previous years. It seems as our environment changes spring gets earlier and when spring should be traditionally in full bloom it can even feel like summer has arrived early too.

I urge you to get out on the next sunny day and look all around for signs of spring in your garden, on the footpaths, in the woods. The environment on the Isle of Wight is my constant inspiration for much of my writing as I try and connect readers with the natural world - a world we are all a part of but is easily taken for granted.

If you want some spring inspiration (also covers autumn) our children's book Jack and Boo's Wild Wood is like a poetic diary of a day out in the woods (Borthwood Copse and Firestone Copse on the Isle of Wight) playing and spotting signs of the changing seasons. It contains a great spotter guide and ideas for woodland fun. You can buy it in various places on the Island including Waterstones, Briddlesford Lodge Farmshop and Oxfam Bookshop.